Sewage treatment.



G. MOORE.

SEWAGE TREATMENT. APPLICATION 111.50 001.31. 1914.

l ,2? l ,926. 1 Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET T.

G. MOORE.

SEWAGE TREATMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 00131.1914.

Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

GEORGE MOORE, 0F J'OPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHEMICAL PROCESS COM- PANY, OF nnwvonx, N. 'Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEWAGE TREATMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed October 31, 1914. Serial No. 869,548.

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, GEORGE Moons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewage Treatment, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of sewage disposal, and the primary object in view is the rapid and effective separation of solids including bacteria from liquid of sewage.

Another object is the increasing of' the speed of separation by accelerating the formation of colloids by agitation of sewage in the presence of coagulated sewage solids.

A further object is the enhancing of the value of sewage solids while efiecting the rapid formation of colloids by employing fuel solids in sewage as foreign matter assisting and hastening coagulation.

With these and further objects in view, as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel steps and combinations of steps in the art of sewage disposal as will subsequently more fully appear.

In carrying out the steps of the process in detail in their preferred form and sequence,

the employment of certain apparatus is de- I sirable, and, for facility of disclosure, the form of such apparatus will be set forth specifically as delineated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary vertical section through the supply hopper.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the crane.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the filter leaves detached, parts being broken away. 1

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates an agitator tank having preferably a conical bottom 2, valved at 3, for facilitating cleaning of the tank when desired. A feed hopper 4 discharges into tank 1 and contains a disintegrator 5 consisting of a rotary shaft carrying agitating blades disposed for breaking up sludge within the hopper, the shaft being designed to be rotated by power supplied from any appropriate source not illustrated. A sewage supply pipe or trough 6 discharges into hopper 4, which in turn discharges into tank 1 through pipe 4. An air jet 7 or other means of agitation is provided for tank 1,

and preferably discharges upwardly in a centrally disposed pipe 8 for maintaining circulation of the contents of tank 1, and thus insuring effective agitation. Jet 7 is supplied with compressed air or other pressure fluid through a pipe leading from a source not illustrated.

A thickening tank 9 is arranged at one side of tank 1, and a trough 10 leads from tank 1 to tank 9. The trough 10 has a hopper-like enlargement 11 opening into tank 1 with the bottom of the enlargement inclined toward tank 1. An open-end quieting drum 12 is arranged within and concentric to and spaced from the walls of tank 9, and a sludge discharge pipe 13 is arranged preferably substantially centrally within drum 12, and extends from approximately the apex of the conical bottom 15 of tank 9 upwardly to a point above the drum 12 and is thence bent and extended across to and discharges into tank 1. An air jet 14 serves as a lift to force thickened solids commonly known as sludge, through pipe 13 back into tank 1. A valve 16 controls discharge from the bottom of tank 9 for enabling cleaning of the tank when desired.

A pipe or trough 17 leads from the upper end of drum 12 to a separator tank 18 spaced from tank 9 and having a conical bottom 19 valved at 20 for controlling discharge of sludge through a pipe 21 to a sludge tank 22. Pipe 21 is preferably flexible or otherwise adjustable for enabling easy control of the location of its discharge end.

A drum 23 is arranged within and concentric to the walls of tank 18 and spaced therefrom, and a pipe or trough 24 communicates with drum 23 and extends to and discharges into filter tank 25, having the hopper bottom 26 valved at 27 for enabling cleaning and draining.

Removably arranged in tank 25 is a filter 28 of the Moore filter leaf type, wherein a plurality of leaves discharge through a common header, and each leaf consists, as seen in Fig 5, of a series of rods or strips of wood or other bars 29 inclosed in a canvas or other fabric covering 30, which fabric is stitched together between the bars by rows of stitching 31, the fabric also inclosing the discharge pipe 32 which extends about the lower and end edges of the leaf and forms the frame thereof in conjunction with the stiffening, preferably wooden, beams 33,33, extending along the upper edge of the leaf and clamping the upper free edges of the fabric 30 together. The upper portion of pipe 32 extends through the beams 33, and one end of the pipe serves as the discharge for the leaf, being connected with the header 32, which header is connected by the flexible hose 32" with a suction pump of any ordinary form, or the header may be otherwise connected to insure discharge and yet enable freedom of movement ofthe filter.

A crane 34 rides on tracks 35 arranged above tanks 25, 18, 9 and 1, and cables 36 connect filter 28 with crane 34 for facilitating elevation of the filter 28 above the 43 which leads to a briquet machine or other appropriate point of disposal. Agitating air supply pipes 44 are arranged in tanks 25 and 22 for preventin settling of solids in the bottoms of the tanfis.

In practising the process by the aid of the apparatus above described, tanks 1, 9 and 18 are filled with sewage. IForeign solids, such as coal dust or other solids'preferably fuel, as charcoal or peat, are introduced into tank 1. Clay or sand might be employed with desirable results but they would not add to the calorific value of the final briquet. The.

supply of sewage being maintained through pipe 6 and hopper 4 to tank 1, and air being supplied to pipes 7, 14 and 44 under suificient compression to agitate the contained sewage, the sewage and foreign solids flow from tank 1 to tank 9 where certain of the solids settle to the bottom of the tank and are picked up and returned to tank 1 through ipe 13, while certain portions of coaguated solids and liquid flow through conduit 17 to tank 18 where thesolids are allowed to settle to the bottom. Drum 12 largely prevents agitation within tank 9 outside of the drum, so as to avoid discharge of heavier solids into conduit 17 due to agitation, and drum 23 largely prevents agitation therein incident to the flow to tank 18 through conduit 17. Thus only the 'most buoyant solids find their way into tank 25, the balance bethe filter, since when so collected their re. moval becomes difiicult, whereas, by applying a coating of coal dust, powdered charcoal, or like easily removed material, on the fabric first and forming a coating, as indicated at 30' in Fig. 3, and then filtering the effluent entering tank 25, the fine, sticky solids collect on the outer surface of the coatf30 and in no way interfere with the cleaning. of the filter. Liquid is sucked or drawn by an appropriate aspirator, such as a hydraulic pump, through the filter beds or c'oatlngs 30, the fabric 30, and out through theheader and to the pum and thence discharged as perfectly clear e uent.. This is continued until the sewage coating on the filter coatings 30 sufliciently obstruct the inflow of liquid as to render'filtration slow. Thereupon, filter 28 is lifted from tank 25, and moved over-hopper 4, and the cakes or filter beds 30 are discharged from the filter leaves into the hopper. To insure holding of these cakes or coatings 30' on the filter leaves during transit, the connect1on with the aspirator is maintained, and

when the filter is in position for discharge,

it is usually suflicient to relieve the suction and admit air to the interior of the filter leaves, whereupon the cakes or coatings 30 fall ofi and leave the fabric perfectly clean. In instances where the cakes fail to readily fall from the leaves, a reverse current, preferably of compressed air, is introduced through the header 32' to the interior of the filter leaves from a source not illustrated.

The filter 28 then again has its leaves supplied with coatings 30 which are applied preferably by introducing the filter into a tank containing slimes, such as would be obtained by discharging all sewage from tank 25 and filling the tank with water and then mixing coal dust, or powdered charcoal, or the like, in the water until the requisite consistency of slimes is produced,

and then starting the aspirator for sucking water from the tank through the several filter leaves and building thereon cakes or filter bed coatings 30 formed of coal dust or other solids. of the slimes. The fluid mass is constantly agitated during the buildings of the coatings 30' asby an air jet or jets arranged in the bottom or lower part of the tank. This method of applying the coatings is preferable because of its case and speed, and also because one essential feature of the resultingco'ating is that they are'uniform in consistency and in .resistance to advance therethrough of .filtrate at all points. One reason coatings of uniform resistance are assured when produced in this way resides in. the fact that during the .course of formation. if a weak spot occurs,

that is a point wherethe inflow is more easy than at any other point, the flow will be quickened at this point, and thev slime solids will quickly filljin the weak spots and render it uniform in resistance wit-h f all other points, so that the resulting filter cake or coating ofi'ers substantially uniform permeability throughout.

The supply through pipe 16 is cut off while filter 28 isout of tank25 and while being supplied withfresh filter bed coatings'. been coated, the filter is lowered into tank 25, unless already therein incident to the When the leaves of filter 28 have employment of the tank in the coatin operation, the supply of sewage e uent through conduit 24 is started by turning on the supply through pipe 6, and the filtration through filter 28 is also started and continues as before.

When the sewage solids collecting on coatings 30 in the form of almost impermeable, sticky and viscous films are sufiiciently scant not to render the resulting mass-too adhesive, the filter bed coatings may be blown ofl of the filter leaves while remain-- ing in tank 25 and without an appreciable stop in the filtering operation, the'reverse current being applied only for an instant and the aspirator then reapplied for causing a building of coating 30 of the mass within tank 25 on the filter leaves. When this is done, some ofthe filter solids are intermingled with the filter bed material, but the continuity of the film of sewage solids is broken up and the coating may be effectively employed thus until another film is formed of sufiicient resistance to the inflow of liquid to undesirably slow down the filteringoperation. Of course, whenever the coatings are found to adhere to the filter leaves to an undesirable degree, the coatings are delivered to hopper 4, and fresh coatings of foreign solids are formed on the filter leaves.

Ordinarily the foreign'solids discharged from filter 28 into hopper 4 and thence into tank 1 are sufficient for all operative'purposes and for compensating-for removals of such solids with the sludge in tank 22, but if from any reason it appears at any time that additional foreign solids are desirable such solids are directly added by being deposited in tank 1.

The manipulations of filter 42 are effected the same as filter 28 except that ordinarily there is an ample supply of foreign solids If in working any sewage it becomes apparent that the cakes are not freeing themselves from the leaves of filter 42, said leaves will of course ,besupplied with coatings of foreign solids before filtration of sludge.

Obviously one of the most important objects to be attained in the handling of sewage islits rapid treatment without sacrifice of efiiciencyyand to this end the tank 1 is always supplied-with the thickest solids the sewage which, being returned from tank 9 and containing both coagulated sewage solids and foreign solids aids in causing coagulation of the sewage'solids of incoming sewage, so that the product finally discharged through conduit 17 contains solids condltioned for more rapid settling and coagulation in tank 18 than could have been secured had not the sewage been subjected to intimate contact with other sewagesolids and foreign solids such as occurs during agitation in tank 1.

The beneficial action of the agitation and circulation of sewage is due to the continuous'change in relative position'of coagulated solids with respect to each other and with respect to the gravity solids, that is, the foreign solids, whereby repeated contact is brought about and results in the particles attaching themselves to each other. This opportunity for contact and attachment 7 tatingsewage in the presence of previously I coagulated sewage solids, drawing off a portion from the agitated mass, returning coagulated solids of the drawn ofi' portion to the mass, and agitating newly supplied sewage in the mass in the presence of the returned coagulated solids.

2. In a process of the class described, agitating sewage in the presence of previously coagulated sewage and foreign solids, drawing off a portion from the agitated mass, returning coagulated sewage and foreign solids from the drawn ofi' portion to the mass, and agitating freshly supplied sewage in themass in the presence of such returned sewage and foreign solids.

3. In a process of the class described, agitating sewage in the presence of previously coagulated sewage and fuel solids, drawing off a portion fromthe ag1tated mass,;,returnin coagulated sewage and mass age and fuel SOlldS. ,1

4. In a process of the classdescr bed, agiltating sewage in the presence of previous y coagulated sewage and fuel solids,.drawingoff a portion from the agitated mass, re-

turnin coagulated sewage and fuel solidsfrom t e drawn ofl" ortion to the mass,"agitating freshly supp in the presence of such fuel solids, and for forming fuel of the solids therein cone tained. w

5. In a process of the class described, as a continuous operation, maintaining agitation of a mass of sewage, previou returned sewage and lated sewage solids and-foreign solids, continuously-supplying thereto original sewa 'e,; drawing ofi therefrom'fluid portions of t eg.

to the mass solids from the drawn ofi' portlons, and filtering the remainmass, returnin ing drawn oif portions.

9. In a process of the class described,-

agitating sewage in a mass, flowing. portions of the ma& into a second'mass, returning 6. In a process of the class described, agi: tating sewage in the presence of foreign solids, drawing ofl' fluid portionsof the mass, filterin drawn ofi portions through a 'coat with filter bed material substantially.

the same as the foreign solids-in thefagi tated mass, and delivering the coating of the filter into the agitating mass.

7. In a process of the" class described, maintaining an inflowing supply of sewage to a mass of sewageiwhile agitating the mass and maintaining an outflow of coagulated sewage solids and fluid from the mass to a' second mass, maintaining a return flow of, the heavier solids from the second mass back into the first mass, and disposingof the" lighter portions of the second mass.

'8. In a process of-the class described, maintaining an inflowing supply of sew age to a mass of sewage and foreign solids while agitating the mass and maintaining an outflow of fluid and coagulated sewage and foreign solids from the mass to' a second mass, maintaining areturn flow of the heavier coagulated sewage and foreign solids from the secondmass back; into the first mass, and disposing ofithelighter portions of the second mass.

heavier portions of the secondlm firstzmass, separating the heavie I hghterportmns ofthe remaining, portion fuel,-spl idsv of the secondmass; and independently"filter-;

from t e drawn ofl' portion t th f: agitatingy ppll d 'sewage- 1n the in the presence of Such rt um d s,

Irated .portions; and returning} ied sewage'in the mass I treating unreturned portions:

siy coaguing the'separate'd portions.

, 10., In a rocess-of he agitating sewage -inflamass,'flowing'portions} ofthe mass. into a second mass,-returning heavier I portions of the second .mass to I the first mass, separat ng the heavier from the .70

lighterportions of the remalning portion of the second mass, filtering one of such sepathereof to the first mass. 4 1

I1. In a process f the class described, agltatingjsewage inja mass,vflowing.po rtions solids of the mass'i'nto aasecond mass, returning heavier-portions.lofgthe second mass-to the firstmass, separatmgthe heavier fromthe lighter portions of thereniaining portion ofghter portion, and-"returning the solids-' thereof to'the first mass.

the second niass, filtering such separated 1 2. I n a' process ofthe class described, mamtammg an nflow ng supply of sewage,

to a mass 10f sewage and'foreign solids while agitating the mass and maintaining an outagulatedjsewage and foreign solids from the of-foreign fuel solids, flowing parts of the agitating mass into a second mass, returning from the second mass to the first mass.

heavier coagulated-solids thereof, filtering remaining ortions of the second mass, and

briqueting solids thus separated.

14. In a process of the class described,

agitating sewage in a mass in the presence of forelgn fuel solids, flowingparts of the agitating mass into a second mass, return- .ing' from the second mass to thefirst mass heavier coagulated solids thereof, filtering remaining portions of' the second mass, briqueting portions. of the thus separated solids, and returning other portions thereof to the first mass. I. In testimony whereof I afiix my slgnature in presence of two witnesses.

f I GEORGE MOORE.

. R. Pnnimn,

EDGAR M. Klronmr 

